Services

 
We empower students to achieve their goals, take full advantage of every opportunity, and maximize their college experience.

College should be a wonderful time of learning, self-exploration, and transition for students to become independent, well-adjusted, productive adults. College is also a significant investment for both students and their parents.  Our program adds just a fraction to the overall cost of college, but significantly increases the return on investment and odds of success by providing a student with an advantage, a Coach.

Coaches customize the program to fit each student wherever they are in their college journey.  The needs of a first-year student preparing to attend orientation are vastly different from those of a senior with graduation on the horizon. Coaches employ a holistic approach, assisting students with academic decisions, resource identification, enrichment opportunities, and graduation planning, all the while facilitating the development of key personal skills.

Challenges

College is tough. Students often feel a great deal of pressure to commit to a specific academic direction, which can be overwhelming given the numerous options available.  On the other hand, if the major/course of study a student is pursuing is not a good fit, they resist the idea of making a change.  Students may be feeling pressure from home to pursue a particular major/career.  Students tend to equate changing their academic path with failure, which can cause some to continue pursuing an ill-suited course of study and others to flounder, not committing to any particular academic direction.  A related concern is the anxiety many students feel as they near graduation, to have their intended careers defined and that next step after college solidified.

Academic challenges emerge from unfamiliar and/or difficult course content that increases in complexity as students progress.  Struggles on the academic side can also be a result of poor planning in terms of course selection, including overloading on credit hours, an unbalanced selection of topics, subpar teaching abilities of instructors, and a lack of interest in the material on the part of the student.

In college courses, students are exposed to information from a variety of sources, including class lectures and discussions, required readings, supplemental material, and assignments. The expectation is for students to absorb all of this material and synthesize it to develop a practical understanding of the subject matter.  It is this applied knowledge that is often put to the test on exams; students cannot rely on rote memorization and must learn how to study effectively to succeed at the college level.

Non-academic challenges are also a significant concern for college students, as they can affect academic performance, progress to a degree, and overall well-being if left unaddressed.  Students often manage a variety of mental and physical health issues, financial concerns, new social situations, relationship issues, and societal pressure. Perfectionism rears its ugly head in many related contexts as well.

Despite the challenges many students face, student services, benefits, and resources are often underutilized due to a lack of awareness, poor organization, or an aversion to seeking help.  A 2017 Strata-Gallop survey of 32,000 college students at 43 randomly selected four-year institutions found that fewer than 20% of undergraduates used the services provided by their college Career Services Office. (1)

Life Skills

For many students, college is the first time in their lives where they are living away from family, in charge of their own daily schedules, making decisions, and generally managing their own affairs.  Most students are transitioning from being dependent adolescents to independent adults and have not yet fully developed key life skills, such as time management, motivation, organization, and self-regulation, required for success in the college environment.  Colleges and Universities in the U.S. assume that students know how to study, prioritize, and plan. (2)  Time and time again, this assumption is proven false as even the brightest students become overwhelmed and are unsure of how to ask for help or where to find it. (3,4)  It is these challenges that contribute to low first-year retention and poor on-time degree completion rates. Each year, approximately one in three, or 30%, of first-year students at US baccalaureate institutions do not return for their second year. (5)  Of the students who remain enrolled, only 40% graduate from “four-year” U.S. Colleges and Universities on time while the other 60% of students take six years to earn their degree.(6,7)

Academic Enrichment

Maximizing the college experience means taking advantage of enrichment opportunities beyond the classroom, such as study abroad programs, research, internships, service-learning, volunteering, and leadership roles in student organizations.  It is these enrichment activities that can set students apart from others and give them a competitive advantage on the job market or as candidates for graduate/professional schools.

How A Coach Can Help

Utilizing a Coach ensures that a student has personalized guidance to aid in managing any challenge that may arise and ideally proactively avoiding issues altogether.  Our purpose is to help each student achieve their goal of earning a degree (completion, retention). We want students to get the most out of the college experience (resources, enrichment) so they can maximize the opportunity and realize their own potential (life skills).

Coaches assist students with academic decisions, resource identification, and planning for graduation.  Every student should utilize all of the university support resources that they have paid for via tuition and fees.  Coaches assist students in identifying the support resources available on their campus and guide them on when and how to utilize these services effectively, enabling them to become self-advocates. Additionally, coaches work with students to determine which enrichment opportunities will best serve their academic and career goals.  Coaches also strategize when and where in their academic plans these activities best fit to supplement (not supplant) the work done directly in the classroom.  As part of the Program, Coaches also train students to develop life skills that will lead to higher-level executive functioning, serving the student well in college and beyond.

U.S. Colleges and Universities maintain an average ratio of 296 students to 1 academic advisor. (8) The norm is for students to have one to three in-person meetings per year with their academic advisor, plus a sprinkling of additional contacts (email, phone, listserv, social media, etc.).(9)  This level of interaction is not optimal and often proves to be insufficient support for students.

By contrast, frequent coaching sessions enable the development of trust and rapport between the student and the coach.  Regular collaboration enhances your Coach’s ability to customize the program to the academic and developmental needs of each student, while keeping in mind the goals of college retention, degree completion, and life skill enhancement.

While we cannot guarantee good grades, retention, or completion, we can say with absolute certainty that any student in the Degree Coach program will have the advantage of expert counsel, knowledge of resources, and develop the skills to succeed.

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